EASTERN UNITED STATES. 33 



where the sun shines through a break in the trees, sip- 

 ping sweets from the flowers or basking on a leaf; but if 

 some other patch of sunshine is sought, it is by nearly 

 direct flight. It is true such butterflies as Debis Por^t- 

 landia are almost habitually in the shade ; but even they 

 are more active on sunshiny days than when the sky is 

 overcast with clouds. 



Tlie direction of the wind seems to affect all insect 

 life. Though the sun may shine in a cloudless sky, if 

 the wind blow moderately strong from the northwest, 

 butterflies take to the wing but little ; and there is more 

 in this than the fact that a wind prevents their flying 

 with ease. A much stronger south wind would tempt 

 them forth and cause them to be blown about where the 

 wind was strongest, but behind some hill or sheltering 

 wood they would be found more at their ease. 



The habits of different species in the places they fre- 

 quent vary greatly. There are a few species, as Colias 

 Philodice, Danais Archippus, and a few others, that are 

 to be found everywhere within the limits of their range, 

 in wood and field, town and country. Papilio Asterias 

 is another species that has a wide range, while P. Tro- 

 ilus, Ajax, Philenor, and CrcspJiontes are confined more 

 to the open woods, where they may be seen in search of 

 their food-plants, or hovering over the flowers of some 

 Vernonia or Eupatorium, or slaking their thirst at a 

 damp place in the road. AVith wind and weather favor- 

 able, these may often be seen on flowers at a distance 

 from the woods. Callidryas Euhule and Sennce^ when 

 they occur in this region, are to be found in the fields or 

 open woods ; but they fly rapidly, stopping for a moment 

 on flowers, seemingly as though migrating. From this 



